


The best Ramen in the world

by ProjectEquipment



Category: Naruto, RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Humor, Pre-Canon, Romance, Summer Rose (RWBY) Lives, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:42:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27913228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProjectEquipment/pseuds/ProjectEquipment
Summary: In a new world and with a lot of power, Naruto did the only sensible thing he could do; He opened a ramen stand. And when a small green haired girl showed up looking eerily similar to himself in the past, he would help her, just like he had been helped. And if this resulted in a butterfly effect, how was he to know? Fluff, Romance. Reviews please.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N- This is my second story, pls cut me some slack.
> 
> This story takes place before RWBY canon, so it can be considered an AU.
> 
> Based on reactions, I might do a second chapter, or more.
> 
> Constructive criticism is appreciated, and welcomed.
> 
> Check out my other stories as well.
> 
> DISCLAIMER- I OWN NOTHING AT ALL.
> 
> 'ITALICS'- THOUGHTS
> 
> 'BOLD'- POWERFUL BEING/JUTSU
> 
> EDIT-
> 
> Also, if a reviewer points out something I missed, I will fix it, like I have here. So, after every new chapter, I would recommend that you read the story from the start, as there might be some small changes added. I also change the earlier chapter to correspond with the later ones, so it's just another reason to read the full story.
> 
> Cheers!

Naruto hummed in satisfaction as he laid the finishing touches to the bowl of ramen in front of him. It was a delicious serving of Miso ramen, which was steaming hot and looking extremely appealing. Everything from the garnish, to the broth looked and smelled absolutely delectable. He almost wanted to eat it himself, but that wouldn't do.

What would his customers think if they saw the chef slurping up their orders? The cozy and homey reputation his shop had built up would vanish in an instant! That would be sacrilege! If people didn't recommend his shop to others, more customers wouldn't come. And then those people would miss out on the food of the GODS! Ramen was _technically_ the food of gods, since it was his favourite food- But enough of getting off topic! If the citizens of Vacuo didn't revel in the glory of ramen, then it wouldn't spread throughout Remnant as a result. The who would worship the foo-

" **OI BRAT! WOULD YOU SHUT UP ABOUT RAMEN FOR ONE GODDAMN SECOND! WE'RE TRYING TO SLEEP IN HERE!"**

He was cut off from his tirade as a voice boomed in his head. Ahh, he was wondering where his plushy companion was. Seriously, just because Kurama can't eat food, it doesn't give him the right to be salty when others enjoy ramen!

" **Who the hell are you calling a plushy, eh meatbag? Come into your mindscape for a second and I'll show you how we** _ **eat**_ **stuff."** Kurama goaded.

Naruto grew a tick mark on his forehead as he retreated into his mind.

His mind was far from what it was in his early years. Whereas earlier, his mind was full of dimly lit hallways and dank sewers, now it was exponentially larger, and consisted of eight different biomes.

A desert for Shukaku

A lake for Isobu

A meadow for Kokuo

A swamp for Saiken

A replica of the Mountains of Kumogakure for Matatabi and Gyuki

A volcano for Son Goku

A Rainforest for Chomei

And finally, a burning castle of fire and brimstone for Kurama.

Why and how were all nine of them together in his seal, you might ask? The answer is simple. After the Fourth Shinobi War, the Bijuu were relatively free, and were respected instead of feared. In that time, the Elemental Nations had recovered and were on the path to progress. The Shinobi Alliance was going strong, even the minor villages were aligning themselves with the cause of world peace, and life as a whole was generally good.

Kakashi-sensei had become the Rokudaime Hokage shortly after, with Naruto himself in line for the position of Nanadaime. All his friends were surprisingly and conveniently paired together. No seriously, that was a series of coincidences no one saw coming.

Sasuke took Sakura along for his 'Journey of atonement' or whatever edgy title he gave it, the emo bastard.

Kiba and Hinata ended up together, after she got tired of waiting for his answer. It wasn't his fault that he completely forgot about her confession! He'd gone eight-tails for Kami's sake! He didn't even remember her getting stabbed, let alone her confession.

Shikamaru and Ino were in a relationship, which he of course found 'Troublesome'. So were Lee and Tenten, Choji and Karui.

So he was the only one left single among the Rookies who was single.

* * *

_Somewhere in the Pure lands, Aburame Shino was sulking while crouched in a corner. He was tracing circles with his fingers on the ground while a cloud of depression hung over his head. Everyone always forgot about him, he thought, while continuing tracing his circles._

* * *

Since one of his dreams was to have a family, this got him down in the dumps. Even after he became the Hokage, he was still single.

This peace lasted for a good 20 years.

Then the Otsusuki happened.

Those three stupid rabbits came down from whatever place they lived in, and started hunting the Bijuu again. He had thought, hoped against all hope, that the peace they fought for would last. But the second one of the major villages was threatened, they gave up their Bijuu out of fear. This was an action that infuriated Naruto to no end.

With the help of Sasuke and those broken Rinnegan of his, they had managed to defeat the threat of Bakashiki or whatever his name was.

But this ordeal led Naruto to a sobering realization- Humans suck. Seriously, after the Bijuu did so much for them, suffered so much due to them, they still gave them up at the FIRST sign of danger! He had had enough of the power hungry ways of humans, and approached the Bijuu through their shared connection with a proposal;

Seal themselves within Naruto and then leave the Elemental Nations via Sasuke-taxi.

After making his points, the bijuu agreed, as they too, were fed up. And as they don't need human interaction to live, they would be fine anywhere as long as they were together. Also, his seal was powered by the Shinigami itself, so it was much more flexible in accommodating them.

So, they did the sealing. And Naruto became technically the new Juubi jinchuuriki. And since he already had Ashura's chakra, one can connect the dots.

So Naruto became more powerful than Kaguya was. He decided to remain in the Nations to gauge what effects his decision would have,and exactly as he had predicted, 'Childhood part 2' began. Whispers of 'Monster' and 'Demon' started floating in hushed tones, and the villages tried to 'subtly' control him like they did the bijuu.

Naruto decided that, since he was still present, the power imbalance would be too severe if he were to remain allied to any Hidden Village. Thus, with a heavy heart, Naruto pulled a Sasuke, resigned as Hokage and left Konoha to become a wanderer.

It was then that he discovered he was now a Chakra Entity, much like Kurama, thus making him effectively immortal. He wandered around as a Sage, helping people whenever possible, with his shiny new Rinnegan.

About 10 years later, Sasuke died on a mission for the village, and since the blood feud between Indra and Ashura had ended, They wouldn't reincarnate anymore. So Indra's chakra latched on to the closest similar source, Naruto. Now Naruto had become even more powerful, and since Kaguya was a Goddess, that made him a God.

He left the Elemental Nations via **Yomotsu Hirasaka,** and decided to open a rift to a random dimension. It was how he ended up in a place called Remnant, with Four Kingdoms, rampant racism and a legend of two Gods. Well it didn't matter to him, since he was here just to relax and spend the rest of his days in peace.

He arrived in Vacuo city of Vacuo Kingdom. Since he didn't know about this world, he decided to hang around there.

He changed his appearance to hide his horns and whisker marks, as he was technically human, and had enough of being seen as a freak for one lifetime. He then opened 'Ichimaki Ramen', a combination of his beloved Ichiraku and his own last name Uzumaki. It had been 3 years since then.

His little shop was already a regular haunt of the locals, as his warm food came at a cheap price, and it was extremely delicious. He also did not discriminate against faunus, which was another plus in his book. All in all, Ichimaki was a place where anyone would be welcome.

Snapping out of his reverie, he glared at the Nine-tailed fox.

"Kurama, aren't you taking it a bit far with the whole 'I'm the almighty Kyuubi-sama bit?'" he asked the fox, who was sitting on a burning throne while cackling madly.

" **What would you know, foolish ningen? Call me plushy again and I'll eat you."** Kurama warned.

"But you're so fluffy! And when I hug you I just sink into your fur…" Naruto muttered something which Kurama didn't catch.

" **What was that last part brat?"** Kurama asked.

"..." Naruto mumbled, fidgeting slightly.

" **SPEAK UP BRAT!"** Kurama bellowed, making Naruto flinch.

"YOU HAVE TOE-BEANS OKAY!" Naruto shouted, then his eyes widened and he slapped his hand over his mouth, when he realized what he'd let slip.

Kurama was getting even redder than he already was, whether it was from anger or embarrassment, was anyone's guess. Naruto, being the idiot that he was, continued to dig himself into a deeper hole.

"Yes, and they are soooo soft~ ya know! One day you were sleeping, and I booped one of them, and it was such a surreal expe-

Naruto didn't get to continue as he was forcibly ejected from his mind.

"Baka-kitsune" he muttered while heading out to serve the ramen. His **Kage Bunshin** were already cleaning the mess and preparing to close up.

" **Don't mind him Naruto, he's just being tsundere."** Matatabi chimed in.

" **I MOST CERTAINLY AM N-"** Kurama was cut off as Naruto closed their link.

He went to the seating area, and saw that there was only one person inside. To be fair, it was about 10 in the night, so he wasn't all that surprised.

"Here you go sir, one Miso ramen." He said as he set the bowl down. The man thanked him and started eating. Taking his cue, Naruto went inside to finish up cleaning.

After about fifteen minutes, the man paid up and left. Naruto was just about to pull the shutter down, when he felt a presence trying to invade his mind.

He wasn't too worried of course, as anything strong enough to get past his own defences would be promptly repelled by his tenants. No, what surprised him that he didn't sense any malice of killing intent, just sadness and hunger. So he let the charade continue, hoping to see it through.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted who was most likely the perpetrator; A little girl with green hair. She was a frail little thing, clad in rags that could barely be called such, and she was thinner than a stick.

She looked to be about 8 or 9 years old, and she looked much worse than he was at that age. Suddenly, her image was overshadowed by that of a small blonde boy, just a little kid looking to get his next meal in a cruel world. No one to care for them, having to fend for themselves. He at least had Old man Hokage, but this girl had no one.

It reminded him of how he got introduced to the Ichirakus, the parallels were eerily similar. For all his power, he'd be DAMNED if he let a little girl go hungry. Just as he was about to dispel her illusion and invite the girl in for some hot ramen, his tenants acted on his behalf.

* * *

Emerald was a street urchin for as long as she could remember, she didn't have anyone to rely on but herself. The slums of Vacuo were no place for the weak, and she had to fight for every scrap of food she found. It helped that her semblance allowed for her to trick people into 'liberating' their belongings, and give them to herself.

She could trust only herself. No one else. She would only get hurt.

But she hadn't eaten in over three days, and she was on her last legs. Her last piece of bread was stolen from her by the bigger kids, and she was left with nothing, yet again.

So when she saw the small ramen stand where everyone seemed to always be happy, she scowled. How dare they? How dare they smile and be happy while she was starving on the streets! They knew nothing of hardship and strife. All they were good for was looking down on others who were less fortunate than them.

She hated it.

HATED THEM!

So, she decided to observe the place for a few days, and when the time was right, she would take the food for herself, while these rich people would suffer for once, and see how it feels to be in her shoes.

The ramen stand owner was probably corrupt anyway, she reasoned. He had to be! How else could someone keep that idiotic smile in this hellhole of a city? Was he unaware of what was going on around him? How conceited would one have to be to smile and grin in this world?

He must have stolen from someone, she mused. He probably cut corners and used cheap ingredients to save a few lien per bowl. He must be serving low quality meals to customers, and making money off of it!

' _Ah ha! Got it, so that's why he is always smiling, he is laughing at their foolishness!'_ She thought, her scarred mind coming up with the only explanation she could stomach, as to why this blonde enigma was always smiling.

Well, she would love to see the smile drop off his face when she would trick him and make off with whatever she could carry in her torn pillowcase.

So she waited until the shop closed, and went about her master plan. She extended her semblance, like a parasite, seeking to latch on to the blonde's mind. She saw him jerk back, indicating that it worked. Now, to the matter of food-

She was cut off from her thoughts, as she was suddenly NOT outside the shop anymore. Where she ended up could only be described as the underworld; the Castle of the Lord of Hell, if you may. The first thing she noticed was that it was HOT; like scorching hot, and the air was heavy with a certain pressure.

She needed to get out of here, wherever 'here' was. ' _I need to leave!'_ She thought while panicking. ' _How did i get here anyway? What is this place? Where-'_

" **Hoh? What do we have here?"** A dark voice boomed, and Emerald froze in place.

Slowly, she turned around, but she soon wished she hadn't.

_DEATH_

That was the only thing running through her mind as she took in the sight before her. In the middle of the room, was an ornate throne, which was surprisingly on fire. And sat on the throne, peering at her wih blazing crimson eyes, was definitely the scariest being she had seen in her short life.

The height of a mountain, towering over her, making her feel like she was but an ant in its presence. Nine tails of the same colour as its fur, swaying hypnotically behind its back. All in all, this… _monster_ cut quite an imposing figure.

" **Well, brat? Answer me."** the voice said, " **What were you doing casting an illusion on my host?"**

Host? What did it mean by that? And the only one she had cast an illusion on was-

Her eyes widened in fear as the being cackled. It was a dark, malicious sound which went perfectly with the twisted smirk on its face. Just when she thought she couldn't be MORE scared, it continued;

" **You know what happened to the last person who tried what you did?"** it asked, " **I ate him."** it concluded with the finality of a God.

It was then that Emerald finally gave up hope. She was going to die here. There was no escape from this hell. But she would not cry- No, she was stronger than that. She would go with her head held high, no matter-

"OI FURBALL! Don't scare the poor girl ya know! Look at her, the poor thing is shaking like a leaf!" A voice shouted, and just like that the oppressive feeling vanished. It was instead replaced by a warm, comforting feeling, almost like a fluffy blanket, and for a moment Emerald almost let her guard down. She turned around yet again and saw the Ramen Man from before, standing behind her and glaring at the fox.

"Honestly, he takes it a bit too far sometime. Sorry 'bout that chibi-chan, the fox has this whole 'I am the lord of hell, bow before my majesty' phase going on." he comforted, while racing down and ruffling her hair. Reflexively, she swatted his hand away, and went over his words.

It was just an act? She wasn't going to die? How did Ramen Man show up anyway? And the most important question of all-

"What the hell did you call me?!" She shouted, not understanding the strange language.

Naruto blinked. He was sure the girl would break down in fear, but THIS was what she asked? Seeing no harm, he answered,

"Chibi-chan. I called you chibi-chan. It roughly translates to little shrimp, I think it fits, ya know?"

Shaking her head to derail that stupid train of thought, Emerald asked "Where am I? How are you here? Who are you? Who is THAT? What is going on-"

She was interrupted as Naruto knelt down, his gaze softening as he did so. Sighing lightly, he started, "Whoa Whoa! Slow down there chibi-chan, we have time ya know? It's okay, you're not in any trouble," he soothed, "Where we are, is in my mind. I came here to dispel the illusion you cast on me. This fox is called Kurama, but that's a story for another time." he finished.

She was slowly starting to settle down. Just then, the blonde asked the million dollar question;

"So, what was the illusion for, chibi-chan?"

"Don't call me that!" she replied heatedly, "My name is Emerald! EM-ER-ALD!" She all but shouted.

"Okay then, Em-chan, I'm Naruto, but you didn't answer my question?" He said, completely ignoring her scowl at calling her 'Em-chan'.

"..." she lowly muttered, looking absolutely adorable as she fidgeted under his gaze.

"Care to repeat that, Em-chan?" Naruto asked, as he hadn't caught what the girl said.

"I said I wanted food! I haven't eaten in days and I was hungry." She trailed off, only now realizing the reality of her situation. She was trapped in an unknown place, with the man she intended to steel from. Due to her Vacuan upbringing, she asked the only sensible question.

"You gonna kill me now?"

She had expected many reactions from the man, from anger, to shock, at such an absurd and brazen question. But what she saw shook her to the core.

Empathy and Understanding.

His eyes did not hold an ounce of pity, as if he knew she would hate it, but complete understanding of her situation and circumstances. She wondered how this smiling buffoon knew her pain, but he answered before her.

"I see."

That was all he said for some time. Just as she was about to explode at him, the scenery changed.

She now found herself in front of the ramen shop again, but the buildings around it were different. It didn't look like a city, but almost like-

"A village." the Ramen Man started, as if reading her mind, "My village to be precise." he said. "And THAT," he pointed to a small blonde child in the corner, "is me." he finished, while wearing a sad smile.

Emerald was about to ask why he was showing her this, when he interrupted.

"I was about to invite you for a bowl of ramen, ya know?" he said, halting her snarky reply by holding up a hand, " But I know enough to say that you would not have trusted my word. I know what it feels like to be in your place, but I know you won't believe a single thing I tell you. So, since we're already in my mind, I thought it better to show you." He said, with those damn understanding eyes of his.

"Allow me to show you why I was genuinely going to invite you for ramen." He completed, and the memory started playing.

Emerald watched, first with scepticism, then with shock and finally with realization, as the blond boy was driven out of every single store he went to. She watched as he skittishly approached the ramen stand, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. She saw the old man inside give the boy a hot bowl of ramen, on the house. And then she _understood._

She had nothing to fear. This man was just like her, but he was offering her food. While she didn't trust the man yet, she would at least eat what he gave her.

With a sheepish expression, she said "Please give me some food sir, I'm really hungry." her point was made by her growling stomach.

Naruto chuckled at her embarrassed blush, "Well come on then Em-chan, let's get you fed."

And just like that, they were back outside the shop. She regained her senses to see the man beckoning her inside, and she absolutely _blitzed_ into the shop.

She sat on one of the stools, squirming in her seat, while she waited for the food to be done. The smell alone made her mouth water, she could only imagine what the taste was! When was the last time she had eaten a hot meal without looking over her shoulder for thieves? She couldn't remember.

Emerald was broken out of her musing when Ramen Man set a bowl of steaming noodles in front of her. She was immediately about to pounce, when-

"Slow down there Em-chan, it's not going anywhere ya know? Eat slowly, savor the taste, and if ya need more, just ask, ya hear?" Naruto said, putting her mind at ease.

She nodded tentatively, and put the first bite in her mouth. It was salty, sour, tangy and all kinds of good things mixed together. It was hot and comforting to eat. But most importantly, it was made for her, ONLY for her, with love and care, the first home cooked meal she had eaten. Unbeknownst to her, a single tear rolled down her eye, which was noticed by Naruto, who was standing away, smiling softly.

Emerald ignored her tears as she relished in the comfort this meal provided. She didn't think ramen would taste this good, but she was wrong.

_Because it was the best thing she had ever eaten in her life._


	2. 2

**CH2**

**A/N-**

**Review pls.**

**Check out my other stories as well.**

**DISCLAIMER- I OWN NOTHING AT ALL.**

' _ITALICS'- THOUGHTS_

' **BOLD'-** POWERFUL BEING/JUTSU

' _I never thought, after everything I did and all that I went through, that I would end up opening a ramen shop.'_ Were the thoughts of one Naruto Uzumaki as he closed up shop after yet another long day at Ichimaki ramen. His quaint little shop had gotten more and more famous as the years went by, known for welcoming everyone regardless of their race. It did cause some of the more strict bigots to stay away, and even go so far as to hassle him, but Naruto never did let opinions of others decide what he did. And in his view, this discrimination against Faunus was the most stupid thing he had seen, and he had _seen_ some fairly stupid things in his life.

At least, when the villagers of Konoha treated him like shit, it was out of fear. Fear of what Kurama was, and fear of being in the vicinity of the Kyuubi, sealed or not.

That didn't justify their actions, but at least they had somewhat of a half-decent reason for them! But this? Discriminating against people just because of how they look, something that was out of their control? Unacceptable. Suffice to say that Naruto had beaten the snot out of some elitists for creating a scene and picking a fight with some of his Faunus customers.

But other than the occasional scuffle, the shop was mostly peaceful. Even some Huntsmen had shown up with their teams a couple of times, saying that the environment was a welcome change from the typical life and death situations they faced.

According to Naruto, though, one event was the most important, that truly highlighted his years working at the shop.

"Papa!"

He smiled as he heard that familiar chirpy voice, and turned around just in time to see a small green blur barrel into his chest. He gently wrapped his arms around the offender and ruffled her hair.

"Ah, there you are! Ready to go, Musume?"

Musume. Daughter. His daughter. If anyone would've told Naruto ten years ago that he'd have a daughter by now, he would have laughed in their faces, his memories of the treatment he received in his homeworld fresh in his mind. How was supposed to know that he would finally have a family of his own? But that was precisely what she was. After he'd given her that first bowl of ramen, she had shown up again the next day. Then the day after that. And he always gave her as much ramen as she wanted.

Until one day, in the second week of this routine, she hadn't come back. He had waited till closing and even kept the shop open an hour longer. When she didn't show, he'd gotten worried. He wondered whether he should go and check or leave her be. She only came once a day, so that meant she had something else to eat during the day, right?

Right?

But however logically he tried to convince himself, he was still Naruto Uzumaki at heart. He loved helping and protecting his precious people, and little Emerald had fast rocketed to the very top of that list, as he didn't really know many other people in Vacuo.

So, he closed up shop and decided to go and check if she was alright. And he was glad he did.

* * *

**FLASHBACK, 6 MONTHS AGO-**

Naruto didn't just want to speed around the city looking for her, so he got into a meditative position, and stilled. A few seconds later, his eyes gained an orange pigmentation, a sign of his use of **Senjutsu**. He put out his feelers and looked for Emerald. He always found her by the colour of her Aura, which was, ironically, green. He located her quite quickly, about a mile away from himself, in the poorer part of town. He released his **Senjutsu** and concentrated on the **Hiraishin** seal he had placed on her hand. He had given it to her and instructed her to channel some Aura into it if she were ever in danger. But Emerald being Emerald, Naruto knew that she was too prideful to ask him for help, even if she trusted him not to hurt her anymore.

So, without wasting any more time, Naruto vanished in an orange flash, his own variation of the technique created by his father.

When he arrived, the sight made his blood boil. Emerald was hunched over next to a dumpster, curled up into a ball and sobbing her eyes out. She was crying so hard that her entire frame was shaking. He slowly inched over to her, so as not to spook her. Then he saw the state she was in. She was still wearing the mint green dress he had given her, which he had created using his **Banbutsu Sōzō no Jutsu**. It had been very easy for him, and he had convinced her to take it instead of the tattered rags she usually wore.

But now, this dress was torn as well. Emerald had lost the bag of coins Naruto had also created for her. (He was a generally nice guy, sue him) Honestly, the only reason he hadn't outright adopted the little munchkin was that she had refused, saying that she 'didn't need anybody to help her'. Well a fat lot of good that did, he mused.

Getting even closer and crouching next to her, he reached out to touch her shoulder. Just had he made contact, she flinched violently, and stared at him with wide, unfocused and teary eyes.

She tried to get away, but she was already in a corner. So she curled up into herself even more than before. Naruto picked up her faint mutterings due to his highly trained ears.

"Please don't hurt me, I don't have anything left to take, please please please..."

Naruto's heart shattered into pieces as he heard her broken rambling, and he started having flashbacks of his own past. A faint pulse of soothing of Chakra from his tenants snapped him out of his thoughts, and he mentally thanked them.

' _She doesn't recognise who I am, she's retreated into herself.'_

' _Okay, enough is enough, I'm taking her with me if it's the last thing I do.'_

Naruto knew that there was only one way of making her realise who he was and that he meant no harm. Closing his eyes, he was bathed in the familiar golden cloak of his **Ashura** form. His warm and comforting presence exuded outwards, calming the environment and making the trees in the area gain a bit more liveliness and colour.

It had an effect on Emerald as well; her sobs were lessening, and she was starting to calm down. Reaching down, he gently patted her head. She flinched again but slowly looked up as if instinctively recognising him. Red eyes regarded him for a brief moment, and her voice followed in a meek whimper-

"Mr Naruto?"

The hope in her eyes made his heart break all over again. Which led him to a series of questions; What happened to her? Why didn't she call him? Who did this to her? But now was not the time, he had a child to comfort. He raised two fingers in front of her face.

"Yes, it's me, Em-chan, can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked in a soft voice. From his days as a shinobi, he knew the way to snap someone out of a panic attack was to ask random questions in quick succession. It seemed to be working, as Emerald's breathing was calming some more.

She shook her head and squinted a bit before replying in a small voice,

"Two. Yes, I heard you, Mr naruto. What are you doing here?"

"You didn't show up for dinner, so I got worried. You would never have called me if it were up to you, so I came to check myself." The blonde levelled her with a stern glare, "And clearly I was right!" he admonished.

Emerald seemed to shrink further in on herself, which made his eyes soften a tad. He was still mad at her for worrying her, though, but he would argue with her when she was feeling better.

"Sorry, Mr Naruto, but I didn't want to trouble you. You already do so much for me, and I didn't want to burden you more." she murmured.

Sighing in exasperation, naruto reached down and started stroking her scalp. She snuggled up into his side and leaned into his hand and closed her eyes in exhaustion. Naruto wanted to make sure Emerald knew exactly how much she meant to him before he took her in for good.

"You silly girl, of course, I would worry about you." he soothed while continuing his ministrations. "You are the most precious person in my life Em-chan, I have no one else but you." she looked up at him, and he continued "I know I just met you a few weeks ago, but I feel a kinship towards you, ya know?"

Emerald looked at him, she looked long and hard. She scanned his face, his eyes, his _soul_ , for any sign of deceit. After finding none, the greenette looked down. The walls she had built up around her fragile heart for years of loneliness came crashing down around her. Em teared up, before hiccupping and smashing her face into his side. She started shaking, and Naruto realised that she was sobbing again. He gently embraced her and rubbed her back soothingly, all the while comforting her by whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

After about five minutes, she calmed down enough to speak again.

"..." She mumbled into his side.

Gently pulling her away from himself and facing her, he asked: "Can you repeat that for me, Em-chan?"

She looked away as if thinking over his offer. She was fighting a war with herself. Her years of growing up alone had taught her one thing; that she could trust no one. The moment she let her guard down, someone would stab her in the back, and steal whatever food and possessions she had on her. Hell, she had done it herself many times. So by all accounts, she shouldn't trust this man. Surely he was waiting, waiting to strike the moment she started to trust him, just to prove that all people were evil, that his daily ramen treat was just a trap— a trap to bring her hopes up and watch sadistically as they all came crashing down.

Then why?

Why did she trust him?

_Could_ she even trust him? She thought. He hadn't led her astray yet, and no one had waited this long to betray her before.

' _But he will'_ A malicious voice whispered in her head, ' _Everyone always does. No one cares about you, he has to have some sick plan in his head'._ It crooned _._

Yes! There had to be something, she reasoned. She just couldn't wrap her tiny little head around the fact that Naruto, _anyone!_ Could be nice to her just for the sake of being nice. With new defiance and denial in her eyes, she glared weakly at him.

"Why do you care so much!" her voice began in a whisper, but gradually trend into a shout. "What's in it for you! No one is nice to me! No one cares about me! But you seem to, you gave me food, this dress and even some money. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!" she finished, with all her emotion in that last shout. She was crying openly again now.

Naruto, to his credit, took the outburst with a calm face. He could relate so much to this girl that it was frightening. He looked at her with a gaze of complete understanding.

' _Is this what I would've turned into if I didn't have the Old man Hokage?'_ He thought inwardly. He realised that the girl was lying to herself. She wouldn't listen to reason as she was right now, and if he just took her with him despite her complaints, it would accomplish nothing. She'd just run away at the first chance she got.

So he decided not to use any words at all. It was time to try out if his ancestor Hagoromo and sensei Jiraiya were really right in their worldview. It was time to use the most prominent power he had, the ability to connect hearts and minds—the power of complete understanding among two people.

The power of **Ninshu**.

This was a massive step for him, he mused. **Ninshu** was a soul bond of the highest, most profound level. It bared your entire being to the other person and connected you at your core. It required a lot of trust in each other. He wasn't going to go around giving people Chakra, but even then he was hesitant to form such a close bond with someone. Reluctant to form bonds again, afraid of what people would think of him.

But looking at the angry crying girl sitting in his lap, he made his choice. She needed this. He needed this. This would do them good. For her to trust him, he had to do the same for her. They both needed someone to accept them wholeheartedly, flaws and all.

Trust was a two-way street, after all.

Wordlessly, he raised his fist and held it out to Emerald. The fact that she didn't recoil at the action gave him a measure of satisfaction. She looked at the outstretched hand quizzically, not knowing what to do. Naruto looked at her. His fist. Her hand. Back at her. He wiggled his fist, all the while remaining silent.

A look of realisation dawned in those teary red eyes. Naruto wanted to bump fists, she thought. She couldn't understand why but raised her own fist to meet his anyway. Just to prove herself right, she defended. Any moment now, he would catch her fist and turn on her, any moment.

Expecting the worst, she bumped his fist with her own tiny hand.

And then she _understood._

Understood everything. Everything about Naruto, from his birth to his departure from his homeworld and his arrival on Remnant. She never would've believed him if he'd told her straight up. And somehow she knew that he understood her as well. She was speechless, as words were not necessary for their conversation.

Retracting his fist from hers, Naruto moved over and picked up the frail girl in his arms.

"Let's go Em-chan, I'll take care of you."

Em could only nod, silently hoping that her life would take a turn for the better. Only time would tell how right she was.

* * *

**FLASHBACK END**

After taking her home, he had fed her and let her heal. Apparently, some older kids had stolen her stuff and made off with it. He made a mental note to find those brats and give them a piece of his mind. Due to their new bond, Em had not run away, and instead taken to calling him 'Papa'. How his heart fluttered whenever he heard that word...

"Papa, Papa, Papapapapapapapapa~"

His daughter's sing-songy voice snapped him out of his musing. Looking down, she was glaring cutely at him while poking his cheek.

"Yes, Em-chan?" he asked, ruffling her hair.

"What were you thinking about?" She tilted her head cutely, which made Naruto resist the urge to squeeze the poor dear to death.

"Nothing Musume, just remembering some stuff. Lets, go home, shall we?"

"Kay."

Naruto finally had a family now, he had a lovely daughter. And he would protect her with his life.

And due to said daughter, Naruto thought about a certain blonde haired Huntress he met two years ago. He had hit it off with her quite well, and they had become good friends, but he still kept her at a distance. He acted perfectly amicable and friendly, but he was always closed off from everyone until Em showed up.

_'Maybe I could let someone in again... Maybe I could trust her.'_

**A/N- Review pls.**

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews please.


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